Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-1993 & Special 08-30-1993MINUTES OF TOWN BOARD MEETING MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 1993, AT 7:30 P.M. Those present: Teresa M. Robinson, Supervisor Ellard L. Sovocool, Councilman Gordon C. VanBenschoten, Councilman Donald E. Cummings, Councilman Carl E. Haynes, Councilman Fran Casullo, Attorney (Fitzgerald, Taylor, Pomeroy) Also present: Leland Cornelius, Liz Brennan, Bob Bernhardt, Betty Sperger, Lyle Raymond, Roger Gleason Moved by Mr. VanBenschoten, seconded by Mr. Sovocool, that the minutes of July 12th be approved as mailed. Ayes - Sovocool, VanBenschoten, Cummings, Haynes, Robinson. Claim Nos. 148 to 163 of the Highway Fund in the amount of $18,807.60 and Claim Nos. 180 to 202 of the General Fund in the amount of $8,607.93 were presented for audit. Moved by Mr. Haynes, seconded by Mr. Cummings, that the bills be approved for payment. Ayes - Sovocool, VanBenschoten, Cummings, Haynes, Robinson. LIZ BRENNAN - BOOKKEEPER - Handed out Report of Expenditures and Revenues and also Report of Accounts. I just have one comment. I didn't see the bills but with all the road work that has been done I think the line item of general repairs might go over. We may need a transfer. I would suggest we make a transfer from contingency of $5000 in the Highway Part -town to General Repairs, 5110.4 to cover the oil and stone. Right now we have a balance of $8,506.42. I believe that will cover it. I will need a resolution for the transfer. Councilman Haynes said that in the Highway Fund it looks like we're running under budget, right? In the Townwide Fund we have 45% remaining, so 55% is spent which we are eight months into the year, is that right? Part Town says that 75% is spent, is that right? Liz said that that is where the road work is charged to and the transfer will be made into. LELAND CORNELIUS - HIGHWAY SUPERINTENDENT - That fund was cut last year. Last year it wasn't all spent due to the wet weather and we're trying to make it up this year. Supervisor Robinson stated that we did the five roads that we talked about. She said we'll finish them up in September and will know the cost when the bills are in. We have the stones but need the oil to finish them in September. RESOLUTION NO. 38 - TRANSFER OF FUNDS Moved by Mr. Haynes, seconded by Mr. VanBenschoten Ayes - Sovocool, VanBenschoten, Cummings, Haynes, Robinson RESOLVED, that the Town Board does hereby authorize that the following transfer be made: FROM: Highway Fund Part Town DB1990.4 Contingency $5000 TO: General Repair Part Town DB5110.4 - $5000 FRAN CASULLO - ATTORNEY - Visited Anderson property with George Senter. Anderson's were not there. From what I understand, George tried to inspect last month and had difficulty getting in there. My feeling, as I told George, at this point is to bring the matter more or less to a head by going through Les Cohen who is the Anderson's Attorney, and pretty much inform them that the Town wants it cleaned up to the Town's satisfaction. I'm a little disappointed that we've not been able to get on the property in the last two months. I think that we've extended them every courtesy imaginable as far as giving them time to clean it up. I think at this point we have to be a little bit more forceful in dealing with them. GEORGE SENTER - CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER - issued: 1992 - 57 7 houses 6 mobile homes 1993 - 52 10 houses 9 mobile homes 1 Year -to -date building permits 44 others 33 others Would like to change Mobile Home Zoning ordinance to read that all mobile homes coming into the Town of Groton have to be approved by HUD which means they have to be at least a 1976 or newer model. We already have in the ordinance that they have to pass the New York State Building Code or a local or state law that is more stringent. We have a lot of older mobile homes in the Town that a precedent has been set where all you had to do is add onto them to make it equal to 840 square feet which is what is required. Councilman VanBenschoten asked what the status of Lacey Grieps and the one on Old Stage Road is. Lacey is going to get a letter from a structural engineer saying that it does pass. If he does, there is nothing I can do about it if it is the right size. The one on Old Stage, we're still working on that one. I've been out there several times, but it's hard to tell if someone's living in it. I would like to think not, but it looks like they're preparing to. I sent them a letter telling them that they can't do that since they have no building permit. We're down to just one unlicensed vehicle letter out of fifty some that we wrote. We had a complaint on Wilbur living in a fifth wheeler on Lick Street. Under Section 410 of the Town of Groton Land and Use Regulations I have 15 days to investigate that and make a determination as best I can whether in fact that is happening and within 30 days after that I have to make a decision -- either dismiss the complaint or send it on to the Board of Zoning Appeals. I sent it on to the BZA along with the required information. Complaint on Sherwood on Spring St. about trash and rubbish. Letter sent to them giving them 30 days to clean up. Complaint on Joe Allington in McLean -- letter to clean up in 30 days. I attended a seminar on July 22 which was a refresher course on water supplies. LELAND CORNELIUS - HIGHWAY SUPERINTENDENT - Would like Board permission to attend conference. Moved by Mr. VanBenschoten, seconded by Mr. Sovocool, to authorize Leland Cornelius to attend New York State Annual Highway Superintendent's Conference from September 28 - October 1 to be held in the Catskills. Ayes - Sovocool, VanBenschoten, Cummings, Haynes, Robinson. Monthly reports of the Town Clerk and Town Justices were reviewed by the Board. ROGER GLEASON - Here to talk about the proposal to fund a District Manager for the Tompkins County Soil & Water Conservation District. At the present time we have one full time District Conservationist and a part time clerk. They are very hard pressed to meet the technical requests of the farmers and carry on projects that need to be carried on. Most other counties around here have locally funded technicians. This is partly due to the Federal cut back in employment. Primarily, County funds are used to pay the salaries. Tompkins County SWCD currently can't offer any assistance to towns because they do not have the personnel to do so. To establish such a position, the county would have to fund it outright the first year; after that, NYS would reimburse the county at up to $10,000 a year or 500 of salary, whichever is less. This person would be available to help local Planning Board with subdivisions, assist Town Highway Superintendent with any drainage problems he may have, also help with the Village water system. That's the reason we are hoping we can get your support to get the County to appropriate money for a technician. I believe it's around $35,000 to $40,000 to pay the salary and some expenses. The Soil and Water Conservation District would be the immediate employer. They are not looking for money from the Town at this time, but would like to have Town's support when it comes up before the Board of Representatives. Lyle Raymond also said that it would help control pollution problems that the farmers have been faced with. Mr. Gleason said that they plan to go to all the Town Boards in the County to try to get their support of this position. The appointment would be made by the Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District if the County agrees to fund this position. Supervisor Robinson stated: " I want to express my indignation with the State Department of Transportation for the unconscionable, inattention to the traffic problem at Peru corners in the Town of Groton. Saturday, July 24th, a horrible traffic fatality occurred at this intersection. For many years I urged the placement of a light at this intersection. Now that the worst has 2 happened to climax a long history of car accidents and injuries cannot a traffic control light be installed at the Peru corners." I'd like to have a motion for a resolution. Last time they told us they didn't need a light. I talked to Supervisor Shugg of Dryden, and their board at their next meeting was going to make a resolution and send it up there. I said, if we have to, we will go again with our names that we went with before. This is getting ridiculous. There are near accidents that are as bad as the accidents that we have had somebody killed. I know that this gentleman who has the recycling down there says that he hears constant wheels squealing and near misses with cars going thru there. Nobody stops. If you're in this area, fine. You know that that's there and you're kind of cautious. If you are a total stranger, you might as well forget it because you can't tell that there is a cross road there. There is no indication and we've got to have something there. And if we have to have another body, that's what he told me last time, well we've got the body now. Since we've been working on this, I guess it's been about five deaths on that corner and a number of people that have been maimed and are suffering from that. The last time he told me, when he came down, was he said, "well everybody wants a stop light ". I don't want a stop light, I want a stop and go light and a caution light. We have 50 square miles and we don't have a light of any kind in our 50 square miles. You don't have to go too far and they have five, six, seven of them and I think it's important that we have this one at least. (Mr. Bernhardt suggested that we contact our State representatives.) Supervisor Robinson read a letter from Tompkins County which was our formal notification that the bridge on Walpole Road over the Owasco inlet was closed on May 12th due to corrosion of the truss and erosion behind the abutment. They currently do not have the staff or funds to address the repairs of the bridge. They are therefore unable to tell you when the bridge will be reopened. Consensus of the Board was that the Supervisor write a letter to the county urging them to expedite repairs to the bridge on Walpole Road since it's closure inconveniences school bus routes, fire department vehicles and traffic in the vicinity. RESOLUTION NO. 39 - REQUEST FOR FLASHING LIGHT AT INTERSECTION OF ROUTE 38 & 34B IN PERUVILLE Moved by Mr. Haynes, seconded by Mr. VanBenschoten Ayes - Sovocool, VanBenschoten, Cummings, Haynes, Robinson RESOLVED, that the Town Board does hereby authorize the Supervisor to send a letter to the State Department of Transportation urging their action on appropriate caution lights at the intersection of Route 38 and Route 34B, and FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Supervisor contact our State Senator and Assemblyman and encourage their support. Item 6 on the agenda pertaining to retainer fee for the Town Attorney will be discussed at next months meeting when he can be present. Supervisor Robinson asked the Board, "In having our sound system, would you like to have it recording too? This would be for Town Board Meetings, Planning Board and Appeals Board Meetings, Justice Court Trials, and all Public Hearings. Town Clerk said it would be very helpful in preparing minutes in that it would pick up sounds that are not now picked up on small recorder. The air conditioner unit makes it very difficult for not only the public to hear but also the Clerk's and Steno's who are responsible for taking and /or recording minutes. Consensus of Board was for Supervisor to go ahead and get quotes. The Planning Board would like to schedule a joint meeting with the Town Board to review the master plan on either August 10th, 11th or 12th at 7:30PM. After some discussion, Board Members agreed to meet with the Planning Board on August 10th at 7:30PM. Supervisor Robinson said the Department of Labor is having a Safety Meeting on Sept. 8th and 9th with the registration fee being $125. Not sure if anyone plans on attending. 3 Mr. Haynes asked if we needed to take action on the Supervisor's salary and if a resolution was necessary. This would be for the 1994 budget. RESOLUTION NO. 40 - SET SUPERVISOR'S SALARY FOR 1994 Moved by Mr. Haynes, seconded by Mr. Cummings Ayes - Sovocool, VanBenschoten, Cummings, Haynes, Robinson RESOLVED, that the Town Board, based on the research that we completed and talked about last time, that we set the Supervisor's salary starting in 1994 at $8500. RESOLUTION NO. 41 - SUPPORT FUNDING OF TOMPKINS COUNTY SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT Moved by Mr. Cummings, seconded by Mr. VanBenschoten Ayes - Sovocool, VanBenschoten, Cummings, Haynes, Robinson RESOLVED, that the Town Board does hereby support County funding of a District Manager for the Tompkins County Soil & Water Conservation District. BOB BERNHARDT - I'd like to address the Board on the Supervisor's salary. I have an interest too since I'm running for Town Supervisor this next year. Why all of a sudden do we have this urge to lower the Town Supervisor's salary after it's been at a certain level all these years? I went through a lot of other things as well. Originally, when we started out the Town Supervisor's salary was to pay for bookkeeping. Right now if you are paying the Town Supervisor $13,500, or whatever it is, by the time you add in $20,000 for someone to do part of that $13,000 job, the Town Supervisor is getting $33,000 dollars. That's what it is costing us for that Supervisor to get her job done. I don't understand the logic behind this. Doing those books is not that difficult of a job. Why we're paying $33,000 for a Town Supervisor to have those books done is beyond me. Do you want to cut some money somewhere? Do away with the bookkeeper and have the Supervisor go back keeping the books again. You used to get it done for $13,500 or whatever it was. Some of these towns are still doing it for that, the Town Supervisors are. I don't understand what is behind this cutting the Supervisor's salary. Not that that is going to change my mind in any way as far as running for Town Supervisor. It isn't. But what you get, you know some of these Towns like Danby, for example, Mary Oltz, I've known her for years, worked with her, was on the board. She doesn't work eight hours. If you want to do business with her, you call her at home after work. That's what you get for $9,000. What kind of a Town Supervisor do you want? What kind of job do you want done? Take a look at some of these other Towns. Mary Oltz does have a bookkeeper who does some of the book work. But I can even agree with that. How can a Town Supervisor logically set here and answer questions about a budget, expenses or anything else if someone else is doing the books. We ran into that last fall when we were talking about a proposed budget for 1993. When we asked specific questions about certain items, the answer was, "I don't have the books here." But there aren't that many categories. The Supervisor should know what's going on. And, again, I don't mean to hound you Teresa or pick on you or say I'm different than you are, but that's the whole purpose, or it used to be, of having a Town Supervisor do their own book work so you knew what was going on. T. Robinson - I beg to differ with you. In one sense there is a guy down here, I can't remember what town, they just indicted him for stealing money. B. Bernhardt - That's right, down in Whitney Point. T. Robinson - All right. Now, don't tell me that all of that work nights........ B. Bernhardt - Now let's just talk about that. That's a good example. I thought about that. After we got all through and the Town Board went through 4 your proposed budget and said okay let's change this, this and this and take out 200 and some thousand dollars out of that budget, your reply to that was, "this is the first time the Town Board has ever looked at my budget ". Well, that's exactly why that guy got away with it, because his Town Board didn't look at it either. So, even if you've got a bookkeeper it doesn't make any difference either. That's really a poor example Teresa. I think for $33,000, that's an awful expensive Town Supervisor. There are Towns that don't have a bookkeeper. ....... Supervisor's keep their own books. T. Robinson - There are very few. You name one. Name one. There isn't one around here. I was one of the last ones. B. Bernhardt - The last I checked there was only three Towns that had one. I'm not going to set here and argue with you about it. I'd say that's a pretty expensive job that we're having done right now where the Town Supervisor, I know for a fact, were all doing it at one time. How long have we had a bookkeeper taking care of our books? How many years? Three years? Why did we do it? T. Robinson - To get our books in order. B. Bernhardt - Was there some problem with it? T. Robinson - Yeah R. Bernhardt - I remember we used to have little problems too, but you know the State inspector walked away feeling good because he found something. He could say, good, I can justify my existence, I found a mistake. They corrected it, but is it worth another $20,000. T. Robinson - How come you keep coming up with $20,000? B. Bernhardt - Isn't that what we're paying our bookkeeper? T. Robinson & C. Haynes - No. R. Bernhardt - What does it show in that proposed budget. What's the $20,000 for? What are we paying our bookkeeper? What do we pay our bookkeeper per year to do our books? T. Robinson - We pay her by the hour. B. Bernhardt - How much did we pay her last year? T. Robinson - I'd have to look it up. I didn't know you were going to ask. B. Bernhardt - So, we don't really know how much we paid her. T. Robinson - Oh, yes we do. B. Bernhardt - It's in the records, but you don't know. This Board doesn't know how much we paid that bookkeeper, do they? C. Haynes - It's in the 10 to 15 thousand range. B. Bernhardt - Okay. But the Town Supervisor was being paid 13 and that was top money in the County. .......... T. Robinson - Why should I, this is political and I don't like this. B. Bernhardt - No, it's not political. T. Robinson - Yes it is, because you're running for office. B. Bernhardt - That's right. And you, right before election you decide to have a vote to reduce the fee for the Town Supervisor. T. Robinson - Let me tell you something. We're going back in history. We had a Justice, two Justices, - one Justice won over the incumbent and he took the wages that that incumbent had had. It wasn't fair to the sitting Judge and k, it wasn't fair actually to us. And we didn't want it to happen again. That's why we're doing this. B. Bernhardt - I would suggest you table this for now. After the election, if you win the election, you say okay let's bring it up to a vote. ......justify me, I'll do the same thing. T. Robinson, C. Haynes & L. Sovocool - Can't do it. It's illegal. It's got to go in the budget. B. Bernhardt - It's got to go in the budget? So that means who ever gets to be Town Supervisor next year, whatever this group here decides, if they decide to change it, that's it, right? C. Haynes & L. Sovocool - It's decided right now. B. Bernhardt - So, it has already been decided by this small group of people. No vote by the taxpayers, no vote for anything. T. Robinson - The taxpayers have never voted on our wages. B. Bernhardt - I'm asking for one explanation and then I'll sit down. You can kick me out if you want to but it's up to you. What prompted you to lower the Town Supervisor's salary just a few months before election? T. Robinson - Did you hear what I said? B. Bernhardt - No. You talked about the Justices. You're the Town Supervisor. T. Robinson - No, but the example was there. B. Bernhardt - Why? There is two of them. There is only one of you. C. Haynes - Bob, you're missing the point. There is two reasons why we did it. Number one is the timing. The issue of the timing of the decision has to do with the point that Teresa is making right now. We can't wait until after election to try to drop somebodies salary. That's just simply illegal. We can't do that. The salary that people running for office need to know what the salary is and when that salary is set they are entitled to that. That's the example I had with the Town Justice. That salary was never modified in the budget. Case in one, there was a brand new person and there was some feeling that maybe they should start out at a lower salary. It was illegal for us to drop their salary because they ran for office based on what they thought the incumbents salary was. B. Bernhardt - Why did you want to say that we want to drop the salary because it's a new individual? C. Haynes - Well, there is a certain kind of logic. I think that someone that's been in office for 20 years and 20 years experience probably deserves a little bit more pay than somebody that's brand new in office. B. Bernhardt - How much experience does it take to preside over a Town Board and be able to ... C. Haynes - Bob, you don't have to agree. I'm just telling you that's what the explanation was. Now the second reason why we did it, is the history which she also eluded to. There has been a long history here of the Supervisor having two jobs. X amount of dollars, I don't remember the figures, but I think way back it was 6 or 7 thousand dollars for the Supervisor and 4 or 5 thousand dollars to do the books. I'm not sure of the exact numbers, but some where back in time there was two figures in the budget. It gradually became evident that it would make a lot more sense, she's not a trained bookkeeper and all that sort of thing, to hire a professional bookkeeper. We had a lot of problems with the books, and that's what we did. The salary continued at that level and that was a big issue with this Board last year. We felt like we really needed to make a change in that n salary. We talked to her about it, we've been talking about this for two or three months, and told her look, this is the year, whether you win, loose, or draw, we've got to make a change in this salary. It just no longer is sensible for us to continue to pay a $13,000 salary to a Town Supervisor when their simply doing the duties of a Town Supervisor and not doing the duties of a bookkeeper. That's the logic. We did a survey of all the Towns in Tompkins County and checked out a couple over in Cortland. There is quite a range, I don't have that paper with me tonight, but we reviewed all that stuff the other night -- Town of Lansing is way high - $14,000 and most of them are in the $6000 - $7000. The majority of those Towns, as a matter of fact I don't remember any one who did not also have a bookkeeper. B. Bernhardt - Mary Oltz told me of a couple Towns that did have bookkeepers. It's a relatively new thing, it's only been around for a few years. I never saw the logic of why we need a bookkeeper when it's the Town Supervisor's job. Most people that I've dealt with and have come to these meetings couldn't understand either. Skip Mott brought it up. C. Haynes - Well, let's face it, when your electing a Town Supervisor, you're getting the luck of the draw. You don't know whether you're electing somebody that's got bookkeeping responsibilities or not. This Township just simply can't go on year to year, year to year, one year it's one person, two or three years it's somebody else and two or three years is somebody else, and trying to keep track of books when you are dealing with a million dollars worth of things, all kinds of government regulations makes absolutely no sense to turn the handling of those books over to needle flight that may know nothing about books. We decided to make that judgement two or three years ago, that we're going to hire a professional bookkeeper. We hire them and if we don't like the job that their doing, we fire them and hire somebody new. We can't fire her, and we can't fire you if you get elected. We can't simply put the trust of this $1,000,000 worth of books in your hands or any body elses hands. We want to put it in the hands that we can control and that's Liz. Right now she's the bookkeeper and if she screws up she's gone. B. Bernhardt - When the taxpayers, people in this Town, voters, heard about what you folks have been doing they were in an uproar saying hey, why in the world did they do it now, that's first. Secondly, why weren't they doing the books all along anyway. If they can't do the books and do them adequately, why don't we send them to school to learn how to do it. You don't have to be C. Haynes - If there is an uproar out there, have them come down here and we'll give them the same explanation. B. Bernhardt - At least you've had some background in accounting and I have too. C. Haynes - I wouldn't pass myself off as an accountant ..... B. Bernhardt - Okay, but to do those books doesn't take .... T. Robinson - It does take a different kind of an accountant. It's not the same as an accountant. B. Bernhardt - Unfortunately, that decision is, while it may be justified what you're doing, people can object to what you're doing. Irregardless, I don't care if you cut it to $5000, I'm still going to run for Town Supervisor. There being no further business, Mr. Sovocool moved to adjourn meeting, seconded by Mr. Cummings at 9:30 P.M. Unanimous Colleen D. Pierson Town Clerk 7 MINUTES OF SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 1993 AT 5:00 P.M. Present: Teresa M. Robinson, Supervisor Gordon C. VanBenschoten, Councilman Donald E. Cummings, Councilman Carl E. Haynes, Councilman Jack Fitzgerald, Attorney Absent: Ellard L. Sovocool, Councilman Also Present: Leland Cornelius Purpose of meeting was bid opening Highway Garage Electrical Service and overhead lighting. Only one bid was received. Toolan Electric & Plumbing 102 East Cortland Street $32,500.00 Groton, New York 13073 Attorney Fitzgerald looked bid over and everything appeared to be in order. RESOLUTION NO. 41 - ACCEPT BID TO REPLACE ELECTRICAL SERVICE TO THE TOWN OF GROTON HIGHWAY GARAGE Moved by Mr. Haynes, seconded by Mr. VanBenschoten Ayes - VanBenschoten, Cummings, Haynes, Robinson Absent - Sovocool RESOLVED, that the Town Board does hereby accept the bid to replace electrical service and overhead lighting in the Highway Garage submitted by Toolan Electric & Plumbing of Groton, New York for the lump sum of $32,500.00. Discussed Town Attorney's retainer fee. Consensus of the Board was that he should have received the 4% increase that was given to all employees effective January 1, 1993. However, this was not included in the 1993 final budget. RESOLUTION NO. 42 - APPROVE BUDGET TRANSFER FOR ATTORNEY'S RETAINER FEE INCREASE FOR 1993 Moved by Mr. Haynes, seconded by Mr. Cummings Ayes - VanBenschoten, Cummings, Haynes, Robinson Absent - Sovocool RESOLVED, that the Town Board does hereby authorize the Supervisor and Town Clerk to increase the retainer fee for the Attorney to reflect the 4% increase due in January 1993, by making the following transfer: From: A1420.41 - Atty. Misc. - $260.00 To: A1420.4 - Atty. Contractual - $260.00 There being no further business, Mr. Haynes moved to adjourn meeting, seconded by Mr. VanBenschoten, at 5:40 P.M. Unanimous Colleen D. Pierson Town Clerk 8